Hurricane Jack Of 'The Vital Spark' — Neil Munro

Neil Munro was a serious writer but is now mainly known for his humorous short stories, originally written under the pen name Hugh Foulis. (It seems that he was not making a serious attempt to disguise his identity, but wanted to keep his serious and humorous writings separate.) The best known were about the fictional Clyde puffer the Vital Spark and her captain Para Handy. THE WILDEST CHARACTER OF THE HIGHLAND HARBORS His name is Hurricane Jack. Or Hurrican' Jeck The finest sailor who ever sailed the seas As Para Handy, skipper of The Vital Spark -- a "Clyde Puffer" or steamboat in the harbors of the Scottish Highlands -- claims. Para Handy, or rather, Captain John Macfarlane, has a crew of wonderful characters, including the effete engineer Dan Macphail, the superstitious ship's mate Dougie, Colin the Tar, and his cousin Davie Green, also known as known as Sunny Jim, a deck-hand wizard with the melodious squeezebox. But Hurricane Jack is the feature character in this remarkable collection of unusual tales by Scots' national treasure Neil Munro (who wrote, if you aren't Scottish and can't recall him, during the early twentieth century). Included in this volume are "The Mystery Ship," "Under Sealed Orders," and "The Wonderful Cheese." Beware German U-Boats This "Clyde Puffer" may lob a haggis depth charge at you